Tuesday, April 24, 2007

The Kever Of The Rashash

When I saw the above picture of the large stone on top of the kever of the Rashash, I instantly recalled a story I had once heard about it. Tonight, when I located the story I found that it was not a story about the Rashash at all, but about Rabbi Klonimus Haberkstein whose kever was later known as "the mound of Rabbi Klonimus" because of all the stones piled atop it. He had written in his will:

"Since I was forced to desecrate a Shabbos to write on that holy day, when the recent disaster threatened the Jews of Jerusalem, I deserve the punishment of stoning, for such is the law for anyone who violates Shabbos in public. I, therefore, request of the residents of Jerusalem that whenever they pass my tombstone - they throw a stone at it. This is to be done for one hundred years after the day of my burial."

Now that I see that the story I recalled was not about the Rashash afterall, if anyone knows a story about the kever of the Rashash, please e-mail me and I will add the story to this posting.

I asked R' Yisrael Avichai (Rav Getz' successor) the head of Bet El in the old city of Yerushalayim. He said the original kever exploded (I didn't ask why/when but I assume it happened in one of the wars.) And the large rock is a chunk from the original kever.